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Walk Gently
Where are you?
Who are your hosts?
Grounding body to land, person to place, current to ancient, Walk Gently centers Indigenous artists and designers, sharing their work and stories—through their own voices and from their own perspectives. The platform is the vision of artist and designer Cole Sparrow-Crawford, from Musqueam in the Coast Salish region.
A DESIGN PLATFORM
FOR INDIGENOUS VOICES
Arc’teryx was founded on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples, in the place now known as Vancouver, BC, and the surrounding area.
By centering Indigenous voices, traditions, and directives on how to live in relationship with the land, it is our hope the community may more deeply consider what it means to be on the land, and who was here before us.
The Walk Gently journey begins with Cole’s work and story, created and told by Cole and several members of the Coast Salish community.
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Larissa Grant
xʷməθkʷəy̓əm
(Musqueam) Nation
Faith Sparrow-Crawford
xʷməθkʷəy̓əm
(Musqueam) Nation
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BEHIND THE DESIGN WITH
COLE SPARROW-CRAWFORD
"Inspired by the spring and summer traditions on the Coast Salish territory, this collection reflects the deep connection my people have with our land. From the water to the mountains, our way of life has been embedded in this place—our traditions born from the landscapes. These designs were created to honour that connection."
— Cole Sparrow-Crawford
Taking to the Waters
"Canoes were made of cedar and cedar was our main source of everything that we have. It provided us with our homes. It provided us with our clothing. It provided us with our transportation."
— Victor Harry, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) Nation
Tsleil-Waututh Territory
Perseis Paul
xʷməθkʷəy̓əm
(Musqueam) Nation
Demetrius Paul
xʷməθkʷəy̓əm
(Musqueam) Nation
Victor Harry
Sḵwx̱wú7mesh
(Squamish) Nation
Swo7wo Gabriel
Sḵwx̱wú7mesh
(Squamish) Nation
Jade George
səlilwətaɬ
(Tsleil-Waututh) Nation
Cyrus George
səlilwətaɬ
(Tsleil-Waututh) Nation
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"The shorts and tees in this collection are inspired by the vibrant, beautiful, and sacred cedar tree and are meant to support canoe pullers as they take to the waters."
— Cole Sparrow-Crawford
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"The ‘tatsu’ colour of the cargo shorts reflects the moss that covers the outer bark of cedar trees, while the ‘cedar brown’ Salish eye detailing on the pockets, as well as stitched weaving patterns on the waistband, represents the harvested materials used from the trees for canoe building."
— Cole Sparrow-Crawford
What the Land Gives
"There’s gifts that come from the land, gifts that will come to you if you walk gently and you walk in a good way and you’re humble."
— Joy Joseph, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) Nation
Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Territory
Alec Dan
xʷməθkʷəy̓əm
(Musqueam) Nation
Aleen Sparrow
xʷməθkʷəy̓əm
(Musqueam) Nation
Joy Joseph
Sḵwx̱wú7mesh
(Squamish) Nation
Leigh Joseph
Sḵwx̱wú7mesh
(Squamish) Nation
Salia Joseph
Sḵwx̱wú7mesh
(Squamish) Nation
Nick George
səlilwətaɬ
(Tsleil-Waututh) Nation
Kayah George
səlilwətaɬ
(Tsleil-Waututh) Nation
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"The tees, hat, and backpack in this collection celebrate harvesters, the land, and the gifts it gives—the colours of the tee’s stitching reference salmon berries, while the stitching pattern on the hem is a traditional Coast Salish weaving pattern called the mountain design, which calls to mind one of the landscape where these plants thrive. My people have always been technical designers and used cedar in technical gear such as baskets, hats, and even waterproof clothing."
— Cole Sparrow-Crawford
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"I wanted to find a way to honour the individuals that are still working today to keep our culture alive. The blanket is immediately inspired by my aunts and all the other Salish weavers in our territory who have worked hard for the tradition to be here today. The blanket is a direct reflection of that."
— Cole Sparrow-Crawford
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From the Salish Sea
"If we really remind ourselves why we’re out there, we will respect the waters and the salmon that are giving themselves to us."
— Larissa Grant, xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nation
xʷməθkʷəy̓əm Territory
Larissa Grant
xʷməθkʷəy̓əm
(Musqueam) Nation
Gordon Grant
xʷməθkʷəy̓əm
(Musqueam) Nation
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"As Coast Salish people, the salmon is one of those direct reflections of a long-lasting connection that my people have had with this territory, that we have had with the plants and animals that we share it with, and those stories are reflected in our culture. The salmon-skin print that I applied to the Beta highlights not just the technical design that goes into these pieces, but a piece of my culture that represents our connection to the land."
— Cole Sparrow-Crawford
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